Sound Visions Consulting has established an image for New Vision Systems incorporating the previous company logo into a bold visual to brand their entire line software products.

Used in presentations, company publications, and embedded as a "splash" screen in software packages, this image identifies the industy (chip wafer manufacturing) and the software's purpose (measurement).

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The ARGUS Logo

ARGUS is a metrology software package for use in the IC manufacturing industry. Metrology, the science of measurement, is essential to the manufacture of microelectronics, as Integrated Circuits fail to function if even minute process deviations are allowed during manufacture.

The logo for this software needed to concisely summarize the qualities of its product: its utility as a tool (the caliper), its dependability (calipers have been in continuous use for thousands of years), its context (measurements on Integrated Circuit wafers), the product name, and a lean, no-nonsense style. This logo is used throughout the Argus product line, including sales and technical marketing literature and embedded graphics.

Eagle Eye

EAGLE EYE is a New Vision Systems product which keeps constant watch over the client's manufacturing processes, alerting the operators when critical tolerances are drifting out of the acceptable range.

This logo leverages the fierce and penetrating gaze of the product's namesake, symbolizing the software's powerful and unwavering scrutiny over the user's processes. The caliper/wafer background visually ties this software in with NVS's product line.

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Possible NVS Logos

NVS's current logo is the red NVS as seen in the preceeding images. But I'm currently working on a new tag. Here are some of my other ideas...

Presentation Graphics:

Anyone who regularly makes presentations knows that a few critical graphics can greatly clarify your message.

Sound Visions creates presentation graphics, and complete presentations with MS Power Point and Macromedia Director, including interactive programming with Lingo scripting.

This graphic is from a sales presentation for ARGUS, a sophisticated Statistical Process Control software package for the Micro-Lithography step of semiconductor manufacturing. This graphics has also been published in

Paper & Article Graphics:

Articles and technical papers both need clear, accurate graphics to communicate abstract and complex constructs in the simplest possible way.

Focus-Exposure Test Wafer: This illustration appeared in technical papers detailing microlithographic processes, and was also used in presentations and in sales brochures.

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Note: Acrobat and the Acrobat logo are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Marketing Graphics

Sound Visions creates detailed marketing graphics to suit your specific needs.

This 20" x 30" full-color poster was created as a technical marketing tool and as a product give-away for tradeshow use.

The graphic layout of the piece embodies the isolation of the manufacturing clean room environment from the engineering managers who are trying to keep their manufacturing processes under control. ARGUS provides both the Information and the Control to increase productivity.

Tradeshow Graphics

Sound Visions design of the NVS booth at the SPIE/ Lithography Conference in San Francisco (Feb '98).

• 3-D Booth Layout and Design
• Tower graphics
• Backlit Cut-Vinyl Signage
• Product Glossies
• Back wall Mural Graphic
• Marketing Poster Graphic
• Interactive Presentation on workstation

Micro-Lithography

Most modern electronic devices utilize Integrated Circuits: ultra-small circuit boards. 'IC's are manufactured by depositing and etching microscopic wires and components on the surface of silicon wafers.
Details on the wafer surface are created by coating the wafer with resist, then exposing this resist with circuit patterns using a camera-like device called a STEPPER.
The resist layer is then developed and checked for registration (Overlay or O/L), Critical Dimension (sharpness or linewidth), and finally, proper electrical performance.
Each layer must have meet critical alignment and linewidth tolerances in order for the resulting devices to operate properly.

Product Literature

Often the first thing a prospective customer wants to know are your product's specifications. A product glossy also conveys more than numbers can represent -- does your company support this product? Document it well? Understand it?

Both of these product info sheets were created by Sound Visions. The designs incorporated new elements and also matched the theme of the existing product line sheets.

Sales Graphics:

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but talk is cheap.

A marketing manager will ask, "Will this help me sell my product?" Brilliant, catchy graphics with a direct connection to a solid product definitely assist sales.

Increasingly, well-informed customers are happy customers. Effective graphics communicate your product's capabilities and help set the customer's expectations appropriately, as well as assist the customer in proper operation of your products.

Shown here, a portion of a technical marketing diagram which details the placement of the Argus suite of Applications within in the structure of an Integrated Circuit Fabrication facility. Such an illustration helps potential customers visualize what complex functions a product performs, and where it fits into their business.

 Load Fab PDF (340K)    Load PDF plug-in.

Note: Acrobat and the Acrobat logo are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Embedded Graphics

Today's most popular applications use graphics to create efficient and accessible user interfaces. The components of these interfaces--buttons, icons, toolbars, dialogs, and layouts--need clear, intuitive, appropriate graphics that reflect a solid underlying interface scheme.

My varied experience with user interface creation and the design of their underlying virtual machine models helps your products work better and more efficiently, as well as shortening your users' learning curves. Also, clear interfaces are easier to demonstrate and sell.